10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Sept 28)

2. Steve Austin Came Up With Ric Flair's Retirement Run

The tears shed by Ric Flair following his loss to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXIV were not crocodile ones. Flair believed his time had come and WWE planned to put him out to pasture; in later interviews, Ric admitted that's why he was so emotional, not because he was ready to walk away from in-ring work for good.

On the latest Something To Wrestle With, Bruce Prichard echoed those sentiments by saying Flair was far from happy with his active wrestling career being shut down. How dare Vince McMahon put together a story that had the 'Nature Boy' potentially working his last match every time he entered the ring, right?

He didn't, that was the work of one Steve Austin.

Prichard claims Stone Cold conceptualised the famous storyline that had Flair battling for his career night in and night out. That's fascinating to learn, because it was one hell of a tale and only upped the tear-jerking emotion when Ric finally lost to HBK at 'Mania. That Steve Austin, man, what a damn storyteller.